Fibre

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We don't normally think of farms when shopping for new clothes. Synthetic fabrics are man-made and produced artificially from chemical compounds, usually plastic, derived from fossil fuels. In comparison, natural fabrics sourced from either plants or animals, can be grown within a regenerative farming system that fosters environmental benefits such as improved soil health, nature recovery and a productive local textile economy.

At Great Cotmarsh Farm we are particularly passionate that farmers should be able to realise the value in the fibre they produce. When Katie started farming, she was determined to see the worth in her own wool clip, so in 2021 she graduated with an MA in Fashion and Textile design, creating an award-winning knitwear collection using the flocks wool, under her brand now named 'Katie Cotmarsh' www.katiecotmarsh.co.uk .

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Katie cultivates dye plants on the farm, to add natural colour to her knitwear. As well as a heavenly source of nectar for bees and insects, our botanical dye garden also acts as an engaging space for our on farm education programme.

James has established Cotmarsh Tannery - a not for profit Community Interest Group (CIC) focussed on producing high quality, fully traceable (down to the individual cow) veg tanned leather. In addition he is passionate about helping to support a resurgence in the heritage craft of veg tanned leather production.

There is an important story to tell around the role of farms in growing our clothes. Our farm classroom is used for our programme "Fashion as a force for nature", which is bringing textile students from GCSE, A Level, Degree age and beyond on farm to understand how the production of natural fibres can help to benefit our natural environment and demonstrate the potential for our local communities and wildlife, of designing clothing that is made within a regenerative system .